WASHINGTON — Pam Bondi, the newly appointed attorney general under President Donald Trump, made headlines by targeting New York officials on Wednesday regarding the state’s immigration regulations. This announcement marked a significant effort by the administration to fulfill Trump’s stringent immigration campaign promises.
During her first press conference since assuming her role last week, Bondi accused New York’s leadership of putting “illegal aliens ahead of American citizens.” She stood alongside federal agents tasked with enforcing Trump’s immigration policies, emphasizing the Justice Department’s commitment to challenge communities that hinder federal immigration operations.
The lawsuit specifically challenges a New York law, known as the Green Light Law, which permits individuals who may not have legal status in the U.S. to obtain driver’s licenses. The law was created with the intent to enhance road safety, addressing issues where unlicensed individuals drove without the necessary training or certification. It also simplifies the process for these drivers to secure auto insurance, potentially reducing incidents involving uninsured motorists.
In the lawsuit, the Justice Department characterizes this law as “a frontal assault on the federal immigration laws and the authorities that enforce them.” They focus on a requirement mandating the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to inform individuals living in the country illegally if federal immigration authorities request their data. The Justice Department seeks judicial intervention to declare the law invalid.
“This is a new DOJ, and we are taking steps to protect Americans,” Bondi declared, flanked by agents from various federal agencies. She voiced concerns that “millions of illegal aliens with violent records have surged into our communities, bringing with them violence and dangerous drugs.”
Bondi’s rhetoric marks a shift in the DOJ’s historical reluctance to closely align with the political agenda of the White House, raising alarms about the potential use of the agency against political opponents. Notably, New York Attorney General Letitia James has previously antagonized Trump through legal action, resulting in a civil fraud ruling that could cost him around $500 million.
In response, James affirmed her dedication to uphold the laws that, according to her, “protect the rights of all New Yorkers while ensuring community safety.” Governor Kathy Hochul supported this stance, stating that New York welcomes “law-abiding individuals who want to work, pay taxes, and contribute to our communities, simultaneously prioritizing public safety by cracking down on violent criminals.”
“We anticipate Pam Bondi’s ineffective, publicity-seeking lawsuit will fail, like all previous attempts. Let me be clear: New York will not back down,” Hochul remarked in a press release.
Bondi also featured Tammy Nobles, who tragically lost her 20-year-old daughter Kayla in a violent incident in Aberdeen, Maryland, in July 2022, involving a person from El Salvador who entered the country illegally. The defendant, only 16 at the time, had been released to a relative to seek asylum, a routine practice under U.S. laws. It was reported that he had been accused of connections with the notorious MS-13 gang.
Trump has frequently spotlighted stories like those of Nobles, dubbed “angel moms,” to emphasize the consequences of illegal immigration. “Tammy stands for the plight of herself and her family as well as all the angel moms across the nation who have suffered due to actions from the Biden administration,” Bondi stated emphatically. “And this is the end of it.”
This lawsuit follows a recent action by the Justice Department against Chicago, alleging that its so-called “sanctuary” legislations were obstructing federal immigration enforcement.
In a prior attempt in 2020, the Trump administration aimed to compel New York to adjust its laws by restricting state residents from signing up for trusted traveler programs, resulting in prolonged wait times at airport security. At that time, Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed limited access to driving records for federal agencies but refused to share lists of individuals applying for the special licenses designated for undocumented immigrants.
The administration ultimately reversed the travel restrictions, allowing New Yorkers to rejoin the trusted traveler program after a brief legal dispute.
